Wednesday, February 24, 2016

What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from. T.S. Eliot

2016 is a 9 year. 2+0+1+6=9. I've been reading that the number nine makes this a year of nearly simultaneous endings and beginnings. It will require patience, I'm sure. Endings and beginnings have been a predominant theme for me for a while now -- needing to allow something to end completely in order to get a glimpse of the new beginning within it. Like birth and death, leaving one world and entering another -- if we're in both worlds, we're in neither. Much more on a 9 year here.

I cleared everything off my little altar table, wiped it clean and started fresh. This is where I sit for meditation. I find if it's too, too full of plants and clutter, it doesn't help matters any.

The soulful quote by Meister Eckhart glued onto my collage foldout project is one of my favorites -- it makes perfect sense to me. I normally think of myself as a river of a woman but I would like to be a mountain of a woman too -- strong, enduring, watchful and patient.

Have you ever tended a Resurrection Plant? This is a dormant rosette of a Resurrection Plant, Selaginella lepidophylla.

When deprived of water, the plant dries out and curls up into a ball until it once again finds moisture. This is 15 minutes after I added water to the bowl.

An hour later, things are happening. The fronds are absorbing water and literally opening before my very eyes. This site has the botanic details. The rosette can be dormant for years and still revive with water. And it can be dried out and resurrected over and over again.

About two hours after being placed in water, it's nearly dark so this is the last photo for today.

This is how it looked this morning -- after about 17 hours in water -- and last time I checked it was still unfurling. I've learned that Selaginella lepidophylla is a folk plant used to symbolize rebirthing and/or growing new things in one's life. For example, if you wanted to open a shop or find a new house or find love, you could place a small representative item in the center of the rosette and let it dry up and curl up back into a ball. Then you would place the dormant plant back into water while envisioning what you want. Plant magic.

Speaking of magic, our maple tree blossom buds are growing fat and juicy and the bees and I can't wait. This is one of their first sources of nectar in early spring. I always breathe a sigh of relief when the maples bloom because I know our bees have made it through another Colorado winter.

The sky is so blue and the sun so bright today. Have a seat.

The chaos that is my sewing table. Chaos means life. Without chaos nothing happens.

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

My 2015 moon stitch ritual ended with the 13th moon embroidered in the same yellow as the first moon from January of last year. There are now 13 meandering color pathways on this oldish thrifted natural linen runner, about 60" long.

I truly love this piece and think there will always be a place for it somewhere in the house.

The endings-are-beginnings idea -- one of the quotes added to my early spring collage project...still in progress.

And with one stitch ritual ended, a new one began -- it's a good thing I wanted to sew more this year because I certainly am doing just that. Golden circles on a gray background seemed right for the moon phase currently in play -- February's moon cloth, the second of 13 moon cloths to be appliqued onto an old white quilt for this year's sewing ritual. The quilt, even though it is in disrepair, is still in use on the bed so safety pins seemed a better option than straight pins until the basting is finished.

Today is a waxing moonday in Cancer and we are having balmy weather in the 60's. Very odd. And I found ants on my little altar table this morning after opening my eyes from meditating. I traced them to the soil of a potted orange tree so the tree was rolled (on wheels) straight outside for a little sun. Under its mossy mulch, the soil was teeming with gnats and little flies and ants. Since it's so nice out today, I'm hoping they all just crawl out of there but if they do stay or come back, there's a thick layer of cinnamon powder sprinkled over the exposed soil. We'll see. I actually can live with the gnats, they really haven't been any bother, I didn't even know they were there. It's the ants. No bueno.

Monday, February 8, 2016

Daily Moons: Some of my daily moons to date, as part of the Quilty 365 project -- all are plant-dyed fabrics, the bright yellows are turmeric-dyed pieces, the rest are indigo or various other plant materials. Visit here to see some amazing hand-stitched circle squares made by fellow stitchers...so fun and you can join in at any time...go see.

Collage: I'm creating simple inspirational collages on some old cards, leaving the back patterned side alone to keep that nice smooth feeling if you know what I mean. Flourish is my word of the year and these cards will be supportive reminders for me to flourish throughout the coming year -- and hopefully, at some point in time, they can be my own personal oracle.

More Collage: This is another collage/art project I've been working on using an Anthropologie foldout that came in the mail as the base -- I like the weight of the card stock and the way it folds up -- it's also a nice size for larger images.

When I started this project a few weeks ago I didn't really have a definite theme in mind but one seems to be emerging all by itself.

You never know, it could still change, but I think the theme is early spring -- the images reflect Nature's new growth, saturated colors and flowing water. Also a sense of stepping out of the darkness into the light.

This is the cover of the booklet -- there's embellishing, outlining, quotes and journaling to be done yet. I love it and can see making similar booklets for summer, autumn and winter.

Today is a new moon in Aquarius so I will be moon stitching tonight. Thanks for coming by -- I wish you a beautiful week. xo

Monday, February 1, 2016

Today is Brigid's Day (or Imbolc), that familiar place on the wheel of the year where we begin to feel the first stirrings of spring. I am fortunate to celebrate this holy day within a circle of women but also have my own household tradition. I began this morning by burning some evergreen branches (from Yule) in a cauldron to symbolize letting go of the old to make way for the new. I lit a candle from the cauldron fire as I stood and watched it rise and fall and finally die out.

I carried the candle into the house and lit the candles on the Brigid altar to represent the new light of longer days as well as new beginnings. I'm trying to keep the original flame going all day long by lighting fresh candles as needed. Brigid is most well known for the following aspects: Craft, Inspiration and Poetry; Magic and Transformation; and Childbirth and Healing. This means that she may be invoked for help and guidance in those areas -- the same as we energetically connect with spiritual teachers, saints, biblical figures, plant spirits, or even archetypes. Brigid seems to be patroness of the things that interest me the most, so I feel a sense of devotion to her.

The green hand long cloth reminds me of Brigid who is both a Sun Goddess and a Moon Goddess. I see this round as a moon but that can change.

A gathering of sacred objects along with plants, seeds, sticks and feathers. This is also the time of year when seeds for future crops are blessed by Brigid so I put representative packets of my garden seeds in a clay pot.

A Brigid's Day lunch of miso soup was had -- carrots, turnips, onions, greens.

Miso Soup: In a little olive oil, saute a small turnip, a medium onion, and 2 carrots, sliced however you wish. Add 2 1/2 cups water and 2 vegetable bouillon cubes and simmer for about 15 minutes. Add 2 cups chopped greens (napa cabbage, bok choy, spinach, etc.) and remove from heat. Take out 1/2 cup of the broth and mix in a tablespoon of miso. Add this mixture back to the pot and you are done. Never boil miso. I always double this recipe but only use 3 vegetable bouillon cubes. (This is good for clearing out residual radiation and medicines from the body, and always beneficial for anyone in recovery.)

It's dark and snowy here, perfect for playing the Imbolc channel on Pandora, having a fire going in the fireplace, and finishing up one tiny nine-patch.

Blessed Be YOU, as Michelle says....and visit her site for more on Brigid's Day.

first things first

I pledge allegiance to the Earth, and to the flora, fauna and human life that it supports, one planet, indivisible, with safe air, water and soil, economic justice, equal rights and peace for all. --Women's Foreign Policy Council

follow by email

peggyvonburg instagram

like it

"There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action; and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. If you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it. You must keep that channel open. It is not for you to determine how good it is, nor how valuable. Nor how it compares with other expressions. it is for you to keep it yours, clearly and directly." Martha Graham